


Distraction

by Chuuakus



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Self-Worth Issues, Shinsai if you really squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:47:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22979362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chuuakus/pseuds/Chuuakus
Summary: Korekiyo finds Shuichi in a closet.
Relationships: Saihara Shuichi/Shinguji Korekiyo
Comments: 10
Kudos: 141





	Distraction

School was stressful, yes. It was for everyone. It’s just so much _worse_ when you have an anxiety disorder. Shuichi knew that well. A little too well for comfort sometimes. One minute he can be effortlessly working on his assignment, and the next he could think just a _little_ too hard about what he was writing and.. it just spirals from there. Painfully choking back tears as he doesn’t want to cause a scene. He really doesn’t. He does this way too often and he knows everyone in the room is quite sick of his presence. It’s stupid, he can’t help having anxiety. But he never misses the way at least one person in the class scoffs as he leaves the room in turmoil. It hurts but.. they have the right to be disgusted by him. He should be able to control his own _mind._ But he can’t. 

Shutting yourself in the janitors closet isn’t ideal. Having to drop to the floor when your legs can’t support you anymore isn't any better. It’s gross, he doesn’t like it. Though he doesn’t have anywhere else to _go._ The bathrooms are always too crowded, and someone will always try to help him. He doesn’t mind when people try to help him, no. Sometimes that can keep him grounded. It’s when people try to help in the _wrong way_ that it’s an issue. Touching, he doesn’t like touching. Makes everything worse. Words, not talking- but words. Listening to someone talk helps. Lets him know someone else is _there_ . Someone else is there and he isn’t _completely alone_.

That never happens though. It’s always silent in the closet, save for some audible footsteps from others passing by. Others who don’t have a clue he’s there, and probably don’t care that he’s there. Doesn’t matter though, that’s just how it’s meant to be.

It’s not till he hears footsteps getting alarmingly close does he panic. Did someone see him? Maybe the janitor came back from his break and was about to kick him out? Send him to the office? That’s happened before. The office is bad. Almost as bad as touching. The office ladies are nice, but the nurse isn’t. The nurse tells him to calm down, to just- _calm down._ It’s not that simple. He _wishes_ it was that simple.

Back to the footsteps though- they stopped. They didn’t stop because they went away. They stopped because they were right outside the _door._ Shuichi couldn’t make out who it was though. The only thing visible was the point of the person's shoes, and all of the students wore the same color shoes. Not much help. How did anyone see him? Or did they even see him? He could have sworn no one was in the hallway. Maybe they come here too? No- he couldn’t assume that. There’s no way someone would stoop to this level of pathetic like he had.

The door handle slowly turned, and the first thing that came into view was a long, wavy strand of blue-ish green hair. Shuichi was startled at first, but the face belonging to that head of hair soon popped around the side of the door. It was Korekiyo, or Kiyo as everyone seemed to call him. Easily recognizable by his distinct features and the mask he wore around his neck and mouth. He supposed this was better than someone else. Shuichi didn’t know Kiyo that well, but he wasn’t.. obnoxious? Like- he was calm. Intimidating, but his presence wasn’t overwhelming.

“Um-” Shuichi started and Korekiyo all but jumped when he did so. Darting around to fully look at Shuichi as the initial panic died down.

“Oh. I do apologize.. I didn’t notice someone else was accompanying this room.” 

“I-It’s uh.. it’s okay.” He mentally cursed himself for how his voice shook.

“Pardon me for asking but.. is there a reason you’re in here?” Korekiyo stepped inside the closet fully, partially shutting the door behind him.

Shuichi didn’t want to spill his guts right away. Especially to someone he didn’t particularly know. So he averted the question.

“..Why are _you_ in here?” It sounded rude, but he didn’t mean for it to come out that way. He couldn’t retract his question now, though. 

Korekiyo’s expression didn’t seem to waver. If it could even be seen wavering in the first place- Shuichi couldn’t exactly.. _read_ him with the mask on. But he assumed he’d kept a straight face.

“My classroom was far too loud for my liking, so I excused myself.” He said it so casually, like- he wasn’t afraid to admit that he was hiding. How could he do that so confidently?

“Oh, okay.” 

“I’ve shared my reason, so are you going to share yours?” Bright golden eyes were fixated on him. It wasn’t uncomfortable per se, just- frightening. 

“Um, yeah.. alright.” How was he supposed to say it? ‘Oh I panicked over writing a sentence?’ That would get him made fun of for sure.

“..Take your time.” The way he spoke- it didn’t sound malicious. Confused, maybe. But not in a harmful way.

“I uh- I guess I just stressed myself out over something stupid? I really don’t know, i’m a fucking trainwreck.”

“Is that all?” Here it comes. He was about to get laughed at or something. Get told to calm down? To suck it up and get over it? Probably. It always ends up like that.

Shuichi stayed silent. There wasn’t anything to say, really. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” 

“No.” His response came quick, almost instant. He _didn’t_ want to talk about it. He _never_ wants to talk about it. Talking about it just makes everything worse. Reminds himself of how dumb his problems are, and how stupid he sounds talking about them.

“Okay, I apologize. I didn’t know that would be a touchy subject. Would you like me to leave?”

“No-”

“No?”

“No. I don’t- I don’t want to be alone in here again, please. I just need.. something to ground me.”

“Oh.. yes. That’s- understandable.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t want to force you to stay. It’s gross, I know. You have a class to go back to and I-”

“No, you’re not forcing me to do anything. If I truly wanted to depart, I would have done so already, yes?”

“Well, I guess so.. but-”

“Quiet now, Saihara. How about I teach you some things about anthropology? You do not have to speak if you do not wish to.”

“Y-Yeah that would.. help a lot actually.” It was mumbled, but Korekiyo seemed to understand.

“Very well then. Would you mind if I sat down next to you?” Shutting the door behind him fully, Kiyo tilted his head in question.

Wordlessly, Shuichi scooted over, trying not to think about all the germs he was practically swimming in as Korekiyo joined him on the floor.

“Okay, where to start..”

For the next hour or two, Korekiyo rambled on about anthropology, with a few subject changes here and there. Shuichi listened intently, the topics were interesting to say the least. He’d always been fascinated in Kiyo’s studies, but never had any courage to speak to him about it. He was getting his chance now though, head propped up by his knees as Korekiyo’s slightly mask-muffled voice filled the room. He’d forgotten about his worries in the first twenty minutes of Korekiyo’s lecture, fully engrossed in the ‘conversation’. If you could really call it that. Needless to say, listening to Kiyo talk was therapeutic in it’s own way. His voice was calm, and he had no overbearing aura. 

Things were alright for a while.

**Author's Note:**

> i know this ship isn't super popular but i love them.
> 
> skdghsdg this is my first time writing korekiyo so this SUCKS i am so sorry
> 
> there's probably mistakes in this oh well,,


End file.
